Weeks above 40°C: Spain's Levante coast pushed to the limit

Weeks above 40°C: Spain's Levante coast pushed to the limit

Temperatures on Spain's Mediterranean coast have spent weeks without dropping below 40°C in the shade, a reading that evokes Persepolis more than the Spanish shoreline. While official thermometers show highs of 40-44°C, public debate swings between resignation and sarcasm. But the data leaves little room for optimism.

How long will the extreme heat last?

Forecasts a week ahead lose reliability, as the more cautious analyses point out. Peak temperatures usually fall between three and five in the afternoon, but in Madrid, for example, the thermal peak comes between 6 and 7 p.m., with temperatures that can hover around 32°C past midnight. Night-time relief, increasingly scarce, is a factor that worsens the impact on health and energy consumption.

Scepticism as a strategy (or consolation)

In the face of extreme heat, some voices put forward "doctrines" reminiscent of the famous weatherman who suggested hiding the thermometers. The irony conceals a fact: heatwaves are breaking historical records, yet the institutional response amounts to generic advice. "Stay in the shade and keep cool", the refrain goes, as if normalising 40°C were an option.

The uncomfortable figure

While some claim that "it's hot in summer and it snows in winter", downplaying climate change, the records show a persistence of extreme temperatures that is no longer exceptional. Spain's Levante coast is piling up days above 40°C without respite, a pattern climate models had been warning about for years. The question left hanging: how much longer can we normalise the abnormal?